This article was co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT. Deanne Pawlisch is a Certified Veterinary Technician, who does corporate training for veterinary practices, in Illinois. She has been a board member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation since 2011.

There are 6 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Experiencing the death of a beloved dog is heartbreaking. In the midst of your sadness and grief, you must decide on details for your dog’s funeral. Before planning the funeral service, you will need to make a decision about whether to cremate or bury your dog. You will also need to choose a final resting place for your dog’s remains, whether it is a grave under Fido’s favorite tree or in an urn on your mantle. When you plan your dog’s funeral, enlist the help of friends and family to make sure your dog’s life is celebrated before finally saying goodbye.

Steps

Method1

Figuring Out the Logistics

1

Consider a pet funeral home. Pet funeral homes offer services including picking up your pet’s remains from your home or the vet and preparing your pet’s body for viewing. These facilities can also arrange for your pet’s body to be cremated or buried.[1]

Once you decide on a pet funeral home to help you arrange your dog’s funeral, you will want to visit the facilities to make sure they can offer what you desire.

2

Choose a location for the funeral. If you won’t be using the services of a pet funeral home, you will need to decide exactly where you would like the service to take place. For many dog owners, a funeral in your backyard will be the obvious choice. For others, a service near one of the dog’s favorite places, such as the beach, forest, or park, will be fitting. If you decide to hold the funeral in a public space, however, make sure you acquire the proper permits or clearances ahead of time.

3

Invite friends and family. You might decide you want a private service for your dog with only close family members present. On the other hand, you might wish to invite extended family, friends, and co-workers to your dog’s funeral. Ask the pet funeral home to announce the service on their website, or in the local paper if desired. You can also invite guests via telephone, email, or social media.

An invitation can ask your friends to join you in remembering your dog. It should include the place and time for the funeral service.

4

Create a viewing area. If you are holding your own funeral for your dog, you may want to set up a viewing area for your dog’s remains. If you are planning on burying your dog, you might want to consider purchasing a dog casket and displaying it on a table. If your dog has been cremated, you can similarly display the urn on a table.[2]

You can decorate the viewing area with photographs, a collar, your dog’s tags, or a few of your dog’s favorite toys.

If you do not have an urn or casket, consider placing a large framed photo of your pet on a table instead.

Method2

Planning Activities for the Memorial Service

1

Ask guests to share their favorite memories. For example, your husband might want to talk about the day you brought your dog home from the animal shelter. Your kids, on the other hand, might wish to share their story about the time your dog destroyed their favorite toys. Whatever the memories, allow everyone time to share, remember, and celebrate your dog’s life.

2

Choose music. Music can be a welcome addition to your dog’s funeral service. You can create an individualized playlist that speaks to your dog’s life. You can also ask friends and family to play instruments and sing as part of the service.

3

Display photographs of your dog. Putting photos of your dog on display is a great way to remember your dog. Go through all of your old photos and choose several favorites from multiple stages of your dog’s life. You can then put them in frames or hang them up at the funeral space.

4

Host a poetry reading. A poetry reading is a wonderful way to memorialize your dog’s life. You can ask friends and family to write poems about your dog and its life. You can also have guests read their favorite pieces of poetry as a way to reflect on and celebrate your dog’s life.

5

Consider a slideshow. A great way to celebrate your dog’s life is to hold a slideshow at the funeral service. Ask friends and family to contribute their favorite photos of your dog. During the funeral service, you can play the slideshow as a tribute to your dog. If you wish, you can also set the slideshow to music that reflects and celebrates your dog’s life.

6

Decide on a way to say goodbye. Once the music has played, the eulogy has been read, and the guests have been given time to view your dog, it will be time to say goodbye. Allow each guest a chance to say goodbye to your dog before the remains are buried. You can have a traditional procession past the viewing area, or allow guests that wish to say goodbye a chance to do so individually.

Method3

Deciding What to Do with Your Dog’s Remains

1

Learn about regulations in your town or city. Before you decide how you will deal with your dog’s remains, you will need to find out what, if any, laws are in place that restrict how your dog will be laid to rest. Some cities, for example, have ordinances that prohibit dogs from being buried outside of specified pet cemeteries. Call your city or county government and ask about pet burial regulations in your area.[3]

When you call your city government, try saying, “My dog just passed away. Does our city have any regulations about where we can bury our dog?”

2

Consider cremation. Cremation may be a less expensive option than burial in a pet cemetery, and allows you the flexibility of keeping your dog’s remains with you or scattering them in a meaningful place as part of the funeral service. In some places, city or county regulations only allow you to bury dog remains that have been cremated. Talk to your veterinarian about cremation options in your area.[4]

If you wish to keep your dog’s remains, be sure to ask for individual, instead of communal, cremation.

3

Think about home burial. If your local laws allow it, you can consider burying your dog on your property. In most locations, however, it is illegal to bury your dog on public property. This means, for example, that you cannot bury your dog in a local park on or public lands such as a national forest.[5]

4

Choose a final resting place. Whether you decide to cremate your dog or bury your dog on your own property, you should decide exactly where your dog’s remains will be put to rest. For example, you might end a home funeral service by burying your dog under its favorite tree in your backyard. If you are cremating your dog, you might decide that your dog’s final resting place will be in an urn on your mantle.

You can also bury your dog’s favorite things as part of the burial and memorial process.

5

Choose a casket or urn for your dog’s remains. Whether you bury your dog, cremate your dog, or bury your dog’s cremated remains, you will want to choose a receptacle that suits your budget and circumstance. Make sure you choose an urn or casket that is appropriate for your pet’s size. For example, each pound of your pet’s body weight will need one cubic inch of space in an urn.[6]

Talk to your vet or local pet funeral home about selecting an urn or casket.

You can also purchase urns and caskets for your dog online.

6

Consider a memorial or grave marker. After your dog dies, it is important to make sure they are properly memorialized. Consider erecting a memorial or gravestone in your dog’s honor. You can place it at the site where you inter your dog’s remains, or on your own property as a tribute to your dog. Memorials and gravestones can be purchased at your local pet funeral home or online.

7

Choose an epitaph for your dog’s memorial or grave marker. Once you decide on a physical memorial for your pet, you will want to make sure it is engraved with words that reflect your dog ‘s life. You can simply have your dog’s name, birthday, and date of death engraved on the memorial. You can also choose an epitaph that reflects your dog’s personality, such as a poem or words from a favorite song.

Article Info

This article was co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT. Deanne Pawlisch is a Certified Veterinary Technician, who does corporate training for veterinary practices, in Illinois. She has been a board member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation since 2011.